Dark Dreams and Puppet Strings
by AnadKay
Summary: With the Pheonix on the rise, the ties of friendship are weakening. While three friends trie to find their place in the world, they find the X-Men. OCs and meny originals like Beast and Nightcrawler. Rating for future chapters.
1. Into part one

The sound echoed through her head; the sound of life, the sound of a great bird. The phoenix song rang through her ears as she watched a great blinding light fill the sky. Morgan's eyes flashed open just as the vision of a fiery red head emerged. The hands on her head drew away just as quickly as her eyes could blink. Her mouth hung open with no sound coming out.

Physics liked her for this vary reason. They could feed her memories and images and just like a VCR, she projected the image for everyone to see. It was a great source of entertainment for the Morlocks. When Morgan couldn't come up with anything on her own, she'll ask for help from one of the others.

Children stared in aw while a few of the elders looked on in fear. Morgan's arms wrapped around the older man as he stumbled, pulling him close to her. Forcing him to look her in the eye, she restrained herself from flinching. So much pain laid out for the world to see. Gently, she lifted him in her arms, rocking him back and forth on the hard floor. Cooing him with soft hushing sounds, she rocked him to sleep, planting her own happy visions in his mind.

"Hush, my dear," she sang, her hands cradling his head. Her dark blue eyes watched helplessly as more of the physic mutants fell under the same persuasion, their screams echoing along the walls of the sewers. Nightcrawler suddenly appeared in front of her, the smell of brimstone permitting the air, his gold eyes sparkling with panic.

"Vwhat is going on?"

She just shook her head, her eyes pleading for understanding. The cries of phoenix still echoed through her mind, her memories playing with the sound. Morgan could almost feel the wings flutter against her mind…

The weeks passed and Morgan sang no more stories. Instead, she wondered the tunnels, her mind miles ahead of her.

* * *

When she allowed her friend to wake up, he couldn't remember anything. None of the physics did. In their eyes, it was as though nothing happened. And worse, Kurt had vanished to the upper world. Callisto had restored order, but hearts were still frightened. She could see it in their eyes

As she traversed the tunnels, her mind shifted elsewhere. She was brought down there as a child, her mother's mutation obvious with her long green hair, flowers growing straight out of her scalp. She passed the challenge of battle, engulfing the whole of the sanctuary in plant life while great vines trapped and held their assailant. Her mother struck a deal with the previous leader.

While Morgan's mutation wasn't nearly as obvious as most of the mutants down there, her voice could be a great asset to her in the upper world. With her voice, she could hide behind any face and match any voice, her own penetrating the minds of those who hear it. Using soft tones and hushed whispers, she could easily become invisible to all around her. But it also had a side purpose. At times of extreme stress or emotional overload, her voice could affect more than just the air and light. Her mother had been training her with her song on the flowers, coaxing them into bloom with warm lullabies with little success.

She hardly noticed her steps leading her to the surface. Every week or so, she would wonder up top, to her mother's disappointment, and stroll into the internet café. She collected money from the sewers and storm drains, adding them up quickly in her draw string purse. Stepping into the building, she looked about uneasily as the humans took in her ragged and dirty appearance. The clerk at the counter smiled warmly at her, the only genuinely kind eyes in the place. He quickly pulled out a dry erase board and asked her, "Where have you been? You know you make me worry?"

She smiled sweetly at him, playing with him with her eyes. Picking up the bold marker, she scribbled, "_Sorry, there was trouble at home._"

Ethan's eyes widened at her note. She hardly talked about her home life, so reading this, he was shocked. "Do you want to talk about it? Or do you just want to blog on the computer?"

She often just came in for the computer, to chat and discover things happening on Top-side. With a rueful smile, she scribed, "Take a break and join me?" He laughed at this, turning to spot his manager.

"In a few, I can. Here," he fixed her a tall smoothie, sliding the glass towards her. "It's on me," he said with a wink. Nodding her head, she took his hand and lightly kissed his knuckles, her way of saying thanks. Taking the fruity drink, she placed herself in front of one of the more secluded computers.

Opening up her e-mail, she found her box bombarded with spam and newsletters. Quickly sifting through it all, she found that of the one hundred twenty three e-mails, only five of them weren't junk. Pursing her lips, she opened the first.

Dear MuteSinger,

I have read your e-mail and unfortunately, we cannot allow you into our school at this time. We regret to inform you that we are no longer accepting student applications at this time. We will keep in touch with you, however, and inform you when an opening does arise…

She didn't bother to read the rest, the pleasantry's continuing in the same droll fashion that this Scott Summers had been so fond of.

Opening the next, her heart leapt as she read the name of the sender. Beast666 had been absent for so long, she thought him dead. Bitter disappointment seeped in as she read the last message she sent him. He simply forwarded her message back to her.

The next three were from her one other surface buddy, PuppetMaster. They, like Ethan had met on the surface world and simply kept in touch on the internet. Her real name was Alexis, and she was also a mutant. Her power resided in the control of puppets. The three of them were close friends, or at least as close as Morgan had to surface dwellers. Alexis helped her keep up with Top-side news, most of them about the mutant rebellions and turf wars. Morgan learned a lot about her fearless leader, Nightcrawler from her.

The X-Men had their own site for crying out loud, though it hasn't been updated in such a long time. About the time her IM buddy disappeared.

Morgan pushed a long strand of curly black hair from her pale face as Ethan pulled up a stool. Ethan was a shameless flirt, constantly trying to get Morgan to go on a date with him. As of late, he settled for simply buying her drinks and making fun of her. Aside from being a mutant, he knew nothing about her and it more than once made her wonder what he saw in her. He lightly touched her hair, placing her dry erase board in front of her.

"So, spill, what happened?"

A silent sigh escaped her lips as she picked up the marker. "_Do I have to? It's a lot of writing?_"

Shaking his head, he smiled at her. "If you tell me your secret, I'll tell you mine." He winked at her again, capturing her curiosity.

Not being able to resist, she scribed the events that had occurred the few weeks before hand. She even admitted that she lived in the sewers, feeling secure enough to give him this much. As soon as she finished her essay, she left him to reading it while she surfed the web. She switched on some music, landing on a sweet song; she set it to play in a loop. The imagery and message it brought to her sent chills down her spine. She wanted to memorize it for her friends in the tunnels.

"You lead quite the interesting life," he mused, placing the dry erase board down to look her in the eye. "I never would have guessed that you were so close." His brows rose suggestively and she rolled her eyes. But when she tried to return to memorizing the lyrics to her song, his hand found her cheek and turned her face to his. "Now I'll let you in on my little secret. I already knew."

Morgan's eyes widened as he said this, her mouth hanging open in a silent gasp. His smile only broadened as his fingers forced her mouth shut. "No worries love, I'm an empath. I can feel what you feel and at times make you feel what I feel. Simple really if you don't add the telepathy that comes with it. I can only sense what you're thinking or feeling at the moment, and I know you're feeling restless.

Her eyes dropped intent on the floor. She wanted so much to just leave the tunnels under the city, to feel the warmth of the sun and the cool wind on her face. She wanted a chance to see what so many others have seen; to carve her own place in the world. His hand found her cheek again, making her look into his kind honey eyes. "I understand," they told her as she allowed herself to get lost in them. But then her mother's voice echoed through her head.

'The world is a cold, cruel place,' her mother would tell her as they worked the gardens. 'So many people just waiting to knock you down because you're different. I want you to be happy and be yourself…'

He abruptly pulled away from her, looking down at his watch. "Damn it all. I've got to get back to work now. I'll be off at around five if you want to hook up later." With a wink and a quick hug, he quickly scurried off to his post at the counter. She could feel his eyes linger on her for a moment before they were distracted by another customer. Finishing her smoothie, she closed down her windows and logged off her e-mail. A quick glance at Ethan and she slipped out the door, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she turned the corner.


	2. Intro part two

Alexis never worried too much about her surroundings, her mind almost always focused on something else. Today was no different as she walked down the streets in her little black dress and ribbons in her long blond hair. She was dressed like a doll, matching the one in her arms, a light skip in her steps. The stares she received from those around her meant nothing to her. Despite her age, she still acted and dressed as though she were a small five-year-old. The twenty-two year old flounced down the street with her own doll like eyes staring straight ahead of her.

Something told her to move, pulled her towards the alley way a few block ahead of her. A sense of urgency hit her and she hurried, her platform boots slowing her down just a little with their weight.

She was cut short when the doors to the café opened and another girl dressed in rags backed out, nearly running her over. The other woman didn't look back, hardly noticing her presence. She watched her for a few more seconds before the woman turned the corner. Her corner. Alexis rushed after her, the sense of urgency building again as she followed the beggar. The cap to the sewers was pulled up when another mutant showed up, blocking them both in. Alexis and Morgan both turned in shock to see the red skinned demon of a man. His eyes full of rage and at the same time terror.

Alexis dropped her doll, the girl standing on her own two legs. The small doll and the puppet master stood in mirroring poses of defense, all emotion wiped from their faces. Morgan stood to the side, just a quick step back into the safety of the sewers. The red demon drew closer, turning his eyes to land on each of the girls.

He lunged at Morgan, her stance giving off the least offence. She stumbled and fell to the ground so near to her sanctuary. Her eyes widened as he came at her, crooked and yellowed teeth so close to her face. Reflexes made her arms fly up to grab his arms as they reached for her skin. Every impulse in her body told her to keep those hands away from her body.

The smell quickly vanished as the mutant was pulled away from her, her blond friend rushing to her side as the doll ripped him away from them.

"What the…" Ethan and a few others from the café poured out of the building, looking onto the fight between the doll and the red mutant. Morgan clung to Alexis as the mutant finally broke the dolls defenses and resorted to bashing the poor thing to splinters. Suddenly her friend wasn't holding her up anymore, but had collapsed. The pain filling her body was so immense she felt her breathing hitch. Every bit of damage the mutant inflicted on her doll, she felt as though it were her own. Horror struck as she felt her arm being ripped from her body with a blood curdling scream.

Fear raced through Morgan, filling her up with a fiery furry. That rage build up, wiping out her reason as she wished for nothing more than to exact her revenge. Before she had the chance to, a puff of smoke surrounded her and she felt herself being pulled from her skin. When she opened her eyes again, she stood in awe as they were back in the sewers. He disappeared again before reappearing with Alexis just seconds later.

"Vwhat ver you doing up there?" he asked, his voice delved of any kindness as he rounded on Morgan.

She shrank back from him, the power she felt running through her veins scaring her more than his piercing yellow eyes. Her head quickly turned down the tunnel as she caught the sounds of someone entering. Nightcrawler slunk away, clinging to the walls as he hid in the shadows.

A shadow of a man grew on the tunnel wall and Morgan pulled Alexis closer to her, dark eyes watching with caution. Ethan's form appeared in the dark, his feet splashing in the placid waters. Relief and worry etched into his healthily tanned face as he grew nearer. His honey eyes took on a dark bark color as they landed on Alexis. "What's wrong with her…"

Morgan gasped as her leader lunged and pinned the brown haired man to the ground, his tail holding his legs together.

"No," she called out, despite herself. Bright colors lanced out at the two but that's all it was.

"No," she called out, despite herself. Bright colors lanced out at the two but that's all it was. Kurt looked up at her, his eyes glowing with an emotion she hasn't seen in him before quickly turning to anger and envy.

He angrily pushed himself up off the poor boy and stalked over to the two girls. Glaring down at her, his voice thick with his German accent, he said such cruel things. "Leave this place. The Morlocks have no need for you." There was such venom in his voice that she was taken aback. "You or your friends."

He disappeared, leaving nothing but a cloud of smoke behind as Alexis opened her eyes. Ethan stared at her, his mouth hanging open. Never had she spoken outside of small talks with her mother and the illusions she sang. How could so many things have gone wrong in so little time?

A/N: Ok, so here's part two of my lame introduction of my characters. Meet Morgan, the songstress, Alexis the puppet master, and Ethan the empath. I hope your minds aren't totally warped after reading this. It gets better, I promise. If anyone has any thoughts or comments on this story, please tell me. The input would be greatly appreciated.

* * *


End file.
